William John Berriman was a passenger on the Titanic. He was traveling with a friend, William Carbines. Both men died in the sinking.
Early life[]
William John Berriman was born in the Hellesveor Hamlet near Saint Ives, Cornwall, England in early 1889. He was the middle child of John Berriman and Sarah Brooking. They were married in 1886 and both originated from Saint Ives. Father John was a farmer. William had one elder sister, Lizzie Kate, who was born in 1886. The family was blessed with another child in 1892 when William's only brother was conceived. His name was Samuel Henry.
In 1911 he still lived in Hellesveor at his parents’ house but now was the time for him to migrate. He and a friend, William Carbines, were emigrating to Calumet, Michigan. Mr. Carbines had two brothers working as miners in Calumet, and they intended to go there to join them. There is a possibility that Berriman had a relationship with Carbines’ sister Annie Richards Carbines, but it seems unlikely because Annie was a minor. Officially, he was listed as unmarried.
Titanic[]
He boarded Titanic on Wednesday, the 10th of April, 1912 in Southampton as he was traveling to America with his friend William Carbines. He paid £13 for his ticket, number 28425, that provided him passage in Second Class. William Carbines also paid £13 for his ticket, 28424.
On April 14, the ship had met her disastrous fate as she had come into contact with an iceberg at late night. The damage was severe as some small gashes had opened up in her hull at a great length. The seawater was coming in rapidly. After investigation, Edward John Smith, the captain, knew she was going to sink. He immediately ordered for evacuation at 12:05 A.M. on April 15, just after midnight.
William John Berriman did not survive the sinking of the Titanic. His body is not known to have been found. The same goes for his friend, William Carbines.
The 1910s were a very tough time for the Berriman family as they later would also lose their other son, Samuel, in World War 1. Samuel was a soldier and was killed on the battlefield.